Stay With Me
by justxxwicked
Summary: What would happen if Bella realized the night of her 18th birthday that Edward was planning on leaving her? Would she be able to convince him to stay? Or would fighting him just be a wasted effort?
1. He Wouldn't

BPOV

''_Stay With Me_

_Don't Let Me Go_

_Cause I Can't Be Without You_

_Just Stay with Me_

_And Hold Me Close_

_Because I've built My World around You_

_And I don't wanna know what it's like is Without You_

_So Stay with Me_

_Just Stay with Me"_

Danity Kane

BPOV

_I was halfway asleep, maybe more, when I realized what his kiss had reminded me of: last spring, when he'd had to leave me to throw James off my trail, Edward had kissed me goodbye, not knowing when-or if- we would see each other again. This kiss had the same almost painful edge. _

I shuddered and froze, knowing Edward had felt it. My heart rate and my breathing picked up and Edward started to get anxious.

"Bella?" he asked with real alarm in his voice. "Bella, are you alright?"

It took me a second to actually speak, and when I did finally get words out, it sounded truly pathetic.

"Y-yes…" I said, trying to get my breathing back to normal, "I just n-need…a human moment."

I quickly jumped out of bed and ran to bathroom. I closed the bathroom door with a little too much force, and slid down the back of it until I was on the floor with my knees pulled up to my chest. The tears started to flow and I started hyperventilating, and there was no way of controlling it.

I knew exactly what he was doing. He was planning on leaving me.

'_No, no, no, no. He __won't__! __He promised back in Phoenix he wouldn't leave!' _I thought to myself. He couldn't leave. It would kill me if he did, he is my life! And he promised.

I finally got my breathing to slow, but the tears were no where near stopping; just the thought of him leaving hurt.

"He couldn't. He wouldn't." I said quietly to myself.

I slowly stood up and walked over to the sink where I splashed cold water on my face. I looked at my face in the mirror and then back at the door.

'_I have to convince him_ not _to leave_,' I thought as I walked back towards my bedroom where Edward was hopefully still waiting.

EPOV

After crossing the line with our kiss, I finally got Bella to close her eyes and go to sleep. She tried to be sneaky as she placed her injured arm up against my cold skin.

After a few seconds of silence Bella suddenly shuddered and froze. I thought it had something to do with her injured arm until her heart rate picked up, along with her breathing.

'_She can't be having a nightmare already_,' I thought to myself as I looked over at her. Her eyes were wide open in shock and her heart rate and breathing were showing no signs of slowing down. I started to get anxious.

"Bella? Bella, are you alright?" I was alarmed and I didn't know what was wrong or what I should do. I hated not being able to read her thoughts.

"Y-yes…" she finally said, as she let out a staggered breath, "I just n-need…a human moment."

I was starting to get worried. She never stuttered unless she was truly frightened. She suddenly jumped out of bed and practically ran to the bathroom. I stared after her in shock, not knowing if I should go to her or not. I heard her shut the bathroom door with a little too much force, and then slide down until, what I assume, she was on the floor.

Her breathing picked up until she was hyperventilating and she started to cry. I was horrified. I didn't know what was wrong or what caused her to have this strange reaction.

Her breathing finally slowed, but she was still crying as I heard her quietly mutter to herself:

"He couldn't. He wouldn't."

If I wasn't already frozen in shock, I would have frozen even more.

'_Did she know what I was planning?'_ No, she couldn't.

I heard her turn off the sink and it was a few seconds later when I finally heard her walk out of the bathroom and back towards this room where I was still anxiously waiting.

**A/N**

**Sorry about the shortness! I'm a terrible writer but I had this idea in my head and I just felt like putting it down on paper...or in this case, the computer. :P If you have any suggestions put it in a review! Just don't be too harsh! :)**


	2. OK

_'Cause you're all I have_

_'Cause you're all I have_

_When the world comes down on me_

_You're the one I love_

_And I'm begging you to see_

_You're all, you're all, you're all I have_

_You are, you are the one I love_

_You are, you are, you're all I have_

The Veronicas

BPOV

I stood facing my bedroom door for what seemed like and eternity when it had only been just a few seconds. Just when I would get my heart rate to slow down, I would reach toward the doorknob and my heart rate would pick back up again. I didn't know what I was going to say, and since Edward couldn't read my mind he probably had no idea what the hell was going on.

I stared at the door for a few more seconds thinking about what to say to my waiting vampire boyfriend on the other side. _'Unless he's no longer there...' _

And with that thought, I threw open the door, catching it before it slammed into the wall. I watched his head snap up in shock, the look of shock and worry clearly showing on his perfect face.

He stood up with inhuman speed and was opening his mouth to speak when I ran up to him and quietly said:

"Don't. You. _Dare_." The tears were starting to flow again and I would have been shouting if it weren't for Charlie sound asleep in the next room.

"Wha-", He started, but I quickly cut him off.

"You know _what_!" I spat, "You're thinking about leaving me?" My voice very noticeably cracked when I said "leaving".

Edward didn't say anything. He just stared at me. I carefully watched him, afraid if I were to blink he would take off right then. I saw him open his mouth a tiny bit but he quickly shut it. He didn't even have anything defensive to say! I tried to swallow the lump that was forming in my throat before stating:

"So you _are_ leaving me." He still didn't say anything. "_Well_?"

"Bella…" He looked like he was trying to figure out what to say. If he wasn't thinking about leaving me he would have taken me in his arms and assured me that he wasn't leaving right when I accused him of thinking about it. But that was the thing…he didn't. Which was making me panic even more. He wasn't even looking me in the eye anymore.

I stared at him waiting for him to say something. Again, my breathing and heart rate picked up, and the tears were still pouring down my face.

His eyes finally averted back to mine and he said:

"Bella, what in the world makes you think I was leaving you?" His question took me by surprise. "I would never, _ever_ leave you." He looked like he was telling the truth; then again, he's a really good liar and can hide pretty much any emotion he is actually feeling.

Then I remembered something. The something that caused me to panic in the first place: _The kiss_.

"Then what the hell was with that kiss?!" He quickly placed his hand over my mouth and we both looked towards the door, waiting for Charlie to come bursting through it. Edward waited a few more seconds before he removed his hand away from my mouth. He gave me a stern look before moving to the bed and saying:

"Try not to shout. We don't want to wake Charlie." The harshness in his voice made me jump and the look on his face changed from frustrated to apologetic. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for _what_? Being rude and ignoring my questions or are you sorry that you're thinking about leaving me?" I crossed my arms across my chest and glared at him waiting for him to answer.

"Bella, how would a kiss make you think I was planning on leaving you? I'll admit, we crossed the line bu-"

"_That kiss_ had the same kind of emotion and urgency as the kiss you gave me before we separated to throw James off my trail. You gave me that kiss last time because you weren't sure when- or _if_- we would see each other again. And up until _now_ you were always very careful not to cross those lines. _That_ is how I know you are planning on leaving me."

He stared at me speechless and wide eyed, for once not being able to hide his current emotions.

I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't control the silent sobs that were coming from my chest. I slowly backed up until I was up against my wall and slid down until I was on the floor with my head between my knees. I didn't even notice the throbbing coming from my injured arm. I know it was childish, but I just couldn't believe it! The love of my life, my reason for living was thinking about leaving me! Did he not know how much he meant to me and what it would do if he left?!

All of a sudden I could feel his icy arms around me and I was picked up and placed on my bed. I rolled over so my face was in his chest. He let my lie there and cry for a while. I'm not really sure how long it was but after what seemed like forever he gently pushed me over so I was on my back and he was looking me dead in the eye.

He didn't say anything at first; he just gently placed his hand on my face to wipe the tears away. I did no good since the tears were still flowing. I grabbed his wrist as I tried to say through my quiet sobs, "please…please don't g-". I didn't even get a chance to finish saying what I was attempting to say for he placed a finger over my lips and forced me to be quiet. I don't even know if he understood what I was trying to say, it all came out in a babble of words…that's what it sounded like to me at least.

He removed his finger from my lips and instead placed both of his hands on either side of my face and told me:

"Bella Swan. I don't know how an out-of-line kiss brought all of these insane and absurd thoughts into your head, but I am _not_ leaving you." I heard him mumble something under his breath but I didn't have time to think about it before he pressed his lips to mine. I felt some sort of relief but not much. I still had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that he was thinking about leaving me, but I pushed those thoughts away and let him kiss me.

All too soon he broke the kiss. He kissed me lightly on the forehead and said, "Now please _try_ to get some sleep. We _do_ have school in the morning and I don't want you walking around looking like the living dead." He pointed to himself as he said "the living dead" and smiled my favorite crooked smile. Normally his smile would cause my heart to melt and I couldn't help but smile back, but this time, I couldn't. I tried to force a smile on my face, but it didn't work. It probably looked really pathetic because his smile faded. He sighed, placed a quick kiss on my forehead and whispered, "_Please_ go to sleep."

I curled up next to him and almost inaudibly whispered, "Don't leave". I knew he heard because he responded with: "Ok." That's all he said and it didn't sound too convincing, but I realized I was more tired than I realized. I shuddered and let sleep have me.

EPOV

I was dumbstruck. I didn't understand how this one kiss made Bella realize what I was thinking. I shouldn't have been too surprised, she was very observant about everything, but I still found myself staring at her speechless and wide-eyed with nothing to say.

Without warning, she wasn't able to hold in her sobs any longer. She completely broke down. She slowly walked backwards until she was up against her wall and then on the floor with her head between her legs.

After a few seconds of watching her rock back and forth, I couldn't take it anymore. I slowly got up and walked over to her. I carefully picked her up and placed her on her bed. As I lied down next to her, she rolled over until her face was in my chest. I let her cry while stroking her hair. I hurt me terribly to see her like this. It was times like this I wished she wasn't so observant and that I could read her mind, so I knew _exactly_ what she was thinking and what was going on in her head.

After a few minutes of letting her sob, I carefully pushed her over so she was on her back and I could look her in the eyes. I didn't say anything at first; I just looked at her and wiped the tears falling from her beautiful chocolate brown eyes. The tears continued to fall and there was nothing I could do to stop them.

As I was wiping tears off her soft, warm face, she suddenly grabbed my wrist and with a shaky voice, she said:

"Please…please don't g-", I placed a finger over her mouth, forcing her to be quiet. Her jumbled words probably wouldn't have made any sense if she said them to a human, but I could perfectly make out what she said. I removed my finger from her lips and placed both of my hands on either side of her face. I told her:

"Bella Swan. I don't know how an out-of-line kiss brought all of these insane and absurd thoughts into your head, but I am _not_ leaving you." I then quietly mumbled "Not yet", knowing she couldn't hear me. And if she heard me say something she didn't have time to think about for I placed my lips to hers. I could feel the burn in my throat but I ignored it as I held the kiss there for a few more seconds.

After I broke the kiss, I kissed her lightly on her forehead and whispered "Now please _try_ to get some sleep. We _do_ have school in the morning and I don't want you walking around looking like the living dead." I pointed to myself as I said "the living dead" and smiled what I knew was her favorite smile. Normally when I looked at her this way, she stopped breathing and would smile back at me. But this time she didn't. She looked like she was trying to force a smile but it didn't turn out as she had planned.

My smile faded and I sighed as I told her "_Please_ go to sleep."

She slowly curled up next to me and quietly whispered "Don't leave." If I could cry I would have been. It hurt me to see her this way and she was making all this harder than it was originally supposed to be.

"Ok", was all I responded with.

**A/N:**

**SWEET! This chapter's longer!! haha! Don't worry, it's not done yet. I think there's actually only one chapter left. BUT!...i have another fanfic in mind. :D it involves an angry Bella! muahahaha!**

**ok...i'm done. **

**please review! it makes me happy! i was really excited when I got any email saying people reviews. It makes me feel good. And suggestions are good too. :D**


	3. Stay With Me

**A/N --Sigh-- oh man, I'm so sorry guys. It really shouldn't taken me this long. DON'T HIT ME! :( But finally, after tons of homework, a school play, a disease, and a computer crash, here is the (maybe) final chapter. If I think of something I might add another chapter. Or maybe I'll make a sequel...I don't know, I figure it out later. But here it is! And a lot of the text is Stephanie Meyer's, I Just changed it around some so I wasn't completely plagerizing(sp?) and then the end is my own...sorta...you know what I mean.**

**Disclaimer: I don't not own Twilight or the characters affiliated with this story, it all belongs to Stephanie Meyer. Bow down to her, not me. :)**

* * *

_Whenever,  
__Where ever baby  
__You'll protect me No matter what  
__Hold me tight with all your might  
__And you'll never let me go  
__Protecting me_

-Aly & AJ

BPOV

Edward didn't leave…well, not right away anyway. In the early hours of the morning, I was barely awake when he kissed my forehead and quickly and then ducked out of my window. If it weren't for my burning arm I would have been more irritated. But at the moment I was more worried, worried that, while I slept, he was thinking about right and wrong again.

Edward was waiting for me at school again and I was shocked to find out that Alice and Jasper had left.

"They left?" I asked in barely a whisper. All Edward did was give a small nod. I felt horrible. If it weren't for my clumsiness they would still be here. Edward tried to tell me that they would return but he did not sound too convincing and I was afraid he was soon going to follow and leave too, even though he told me the night before that he wasn't leaving.

After school I asked Edward if he was coming over after I got off work. He said he would but with barely any emotion in his voice. By the time I had pulled out of the school parking lot I was hyperventilating.

'He just needs time', I thought to myself. I kept telling myself that. I tried to think happy thoughts. Alice and Jasper would come back. I would stay out of the Cullen house if that's what it would take for them to come back. And I would do anything to keep Edward with me and by my side.

The next two days were torturous. Edward's attitude hadn't changed and there were no signs of it changing. We barely said a word to each other those couple of days. I would try but he never had a very long response. And sometimes the only response I would get would be a nod. I did use the camera I got for my birthday. I took pictures of my room, my truck, got a couple pictures of Charlie and Edward, Charlie and Me, and then Edward and me. I was afraid of how the pictures of Edward would turn out. I also got pictures of everybody at school. I handed Jessica the camera and told her to take pictures of everybody. The picture war had begun and ended when the camera ran out of film.

"Uh-oh," Jessica said apologetically as she returned the camera. "I think we used all your film".

"That's okay. I think I already got pictures of everything else I need," I said with a weak smile.

On my way to Newton's, I dropped the film off at the Thriftway and after work; I picked up the developed pictures. After entering the house, I said a brief hi to Charlie and hurried up to my room with the pictures under my arm.

When I pulled the pictures out, I half expected the first picture to be blank, but gasped aloud when I saw the picture of Edward staring at me out of the picture with the warm eyes I'd missed for the past few days. He looked just as beautiful as he did in real life. This picture was beyond description.

I placed two pictures side by side; the first picture of Edward and the picture with Charlie and Edward watching ESPN. The difference in Edward's expression was severe. His eyes were careful here, reserved. His face was colder, more like a sculpture, less alive.

I held up another picture; the picture of Edward and me standing awkwardly side by side. The most troubling part of this photograph wasn't Edward's cold and statue-like expression, but it was the contrast between me and him. It was painful. He looked like a god. And then there was me, looking very average, even for a human. With a feeling of disgust, I flipped the picture over.

I stayed up putting the photographs in the photo album instead of doing my homework. When I got to the picture of Edward and me, and without looking at it too long, I folded it in half and stuck it under the metal tab, Edward-side up.

When I was done putting the pictures in the album, I stuffed the second set of prints in a fresh envelope and wrote a long thank-you letter to Renee. Edward still hadn't come over. And he was, I admit, the reason I had stayed up this late. I tried to remember the last time he had stayed away like this, without an excuse, a phone call…he never had. And again, I didn't sleep well.

Three days after my birthday. If I thought the last two days were torturous, I have no idea what I would call today. School had followed the silent, frustrating, terrifying pattern of the last two days, but it seemed a bit worse. I did feel relief when I saw Edward waiting for me in the parking lot, but that feeling of relief faded quickly when I saw he was no different, unless maybe more remote. Like I said, today was worse.

I pushed those feelings aside. I decided that, if I couldn't talk to him today, really talk, then I was going to see Carlisle tomorrow. I had to do something. After school, Edward and I were going to talk it out, I promised myself. I wasn't accepting any excuses.

While he was walking me to my truck, I steeled myself to make my demands. But before I could say anything he asked

"Do you mind if I come over today?"

"Of course not."

"Now?" he asked again, opening my door for me.

"Sure, I was just going to drop a letter for Renee in the mailbox on the way. I'll meet you there."

He looked at the fat envelope on the passenger seat. Suddenly, he reached over me and snagged it. Quietly he said:

"I'll do it, and I'll still beat you there." He smiled my favorite crooked smile, but it was oh so wrong. It didn't reach his eyes.

"Okay," I said, trying to smile but failing miserably. He shut the door and headed toward his car.

He did beat me home. He was parked in Charlie's spot when I pulled up in front of the house. That was a really bad sign. He wasn't planning on staying. Panic started to take over, but I shook my head and took a deep breath, bracing myself for whatever was about to happen.

When I stepped out of my truck, he got out of his car and came over to meet me. He reached to take my book bag from me which was completely normal for him. What wasn't normal for him was him shoving back into the seat.

"Come for a walk with me," he suggested with an unemotional voice and taking my hand.

'_Please please PLEASE don't do what I think you're about to do'_ I thought to myself. The look on his perfect face told me he was going to do what I was hoping he wouldn't do. _'This is bad, this is very bad.' _

He pulled me along toward the east side of the yard, where the forest encroached. I followed unwillingly, trying to think through the panic. We had gone only a few steps into the tree when he stopped. We were barely on the trail- I could still see the house.

Edward leaned against a tree and stared at me, his expression unreadable. He looked down for a split second, and then right when I was opening my mouth to speak, he spoke.

"Bella, we need to talk."

I cringed hearing that sentence. I had never been in a relationship before Edward, but I had seen enough movies and read enough books to know that when someone starts out a conversation with the phrase "We need to talk" it never ends well.

Edward noticed my cringing and panic but before _he_ could speak, I spoke.

"Edward…" I started, trying to keep my voice even, "Those are the four most horrible words you could say to someone. It usually means that-"

"Bella we're leaving," Edward said, taking a deep breath and cutting me off.

"What?" I said unable to keep my voice from shaking.

"We're _leaving_. It's time. How much longer could we stay in Forks, after all? Carlisle can barely pass for thirty, and he's claiming thirty-three now. We'd have to start over soon regardless." His answer confused me. He was talking about his family. But why would what about him? Why would he have to leave with his family?

He stared back at me coldly.

Then I remembered why I was panicking in the first place.

"When you say we-"

"I mean my family and myself." He answered in a harsh tone. It took me a few minutes to find my voice again.

"Okay, I'll come with you."

"You can't, Bella. Where we're going…it's not the right place for you."

"Where you are is the right place for me," I said taking a step towards him. He took a step back.

"I'm no good for you, Bella. My _world_ is not for you."

"What happened with Jasper- that was nothing, Edward! Nothing!"

"You're right," he snapped, making me jump. "It was _exactly_ what was to be expected."

"You promised! In Phoenix, you promised that you would stay-"

"As long as it was best for you!" He interrupted.

"No! this is about my soul, isn't it?" I shouted, I was furious but I was also panicking. The words were just exploding out of me, and it somehow came out sounding like plea. "Carlisle told me about that, and I don't care, Edward. I _don't care_! You can _have_ my soul. I don't want it without you-it's yours already!"

Edward looked down at the ground for a few seconds before looking up at me again. His eyes were different when he looked at me, harder-kike the liquid gold had frozen solid. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Bella, I don't _want_ you to come with me." He spoke the words slowly and precisely. He opened his eyes, his cold eyes on my face, watching as I absorbed what he was _really_ saying.

"You…don't…want me?" My voice cracked throughout the whole sentence. I was confused by the way the words had sounded, placed in that order.

"No."

I didn't know what else to say. I had used all of my words the first night he was planning on leaving and a few moments before this. I just stared, uncomprehending, into his eyes. He stared back without apology.

"Of course," he continued, "I'll always love you…in a way. But what happened the other night made me realize that it's time for a change. Because I'm…tired of pretending to be something I'm not, Bella. I am not human." I've let this go on much too long, and I'm sorry for that."

"Don't." The word came out in a whisper. A complete breakdown was about to occur, and there would no stopping it. "Don't do this." He just stared at me, and I could see from his eyes that my words were far too late. He already had.

"You're not good for me, Bella." I flinched at his words. All the thoughts I had the first time he told me he loved me up to now, came flooding into my mind. _'I'm not good enough. I knew that.' _I knew it was impossible for someone like him to love someone like me. Plain Jane Isabella Swan. His words hurt. I crossed my arms over my chest without thinking about it. I was probably trying to keep my heart from falling to pieces…too late for that.

My whole body had gone numb. I couldn't feel anything below the neck.

"I would like to ask one favor, thought, if that's not too much," he said. Something flickered across his own face in response. But, before I could identify it, he had composed his features into the same serene mask.

"Anything," I vowed, my voice faintly stronger.

"Don't do anything reckless or stupid," he ordered, no longer detached. "Do you understand what I'm saying?" I nodded helplessly, not knowing what to say. "I'm thinking of Charlie, of course. He need you. Take care of yourself-for him." I nodded again.

"I will," I whispered.

"And I'll make you a promise in return," he said. "I promise that this will be the last time you'll see me. I won't come back. I won't put you through anything like this again. You can go on with your life without any more interference from e. It will be as if I'd never existed." He smiled gently. "Don't worry. You're human- your memory is no more that a sieve. Time heals all wounds for your kind."

"And your memories?" I asked, my voice shaking. I sound like I was choking.

"Well…" he hesitated for a very short second. "I won't forget. But _my_ kind…we're very easily distracted." He smiled; the smile was tranquil and it did not touch his eyes.

He took a step away from me. "That's everything, I suppose. We won't bother you again." The plural caught my attention. That surprised me; I would have thought I was beyond noticing anything.

Without looking at him I whispered, "Alicia isn't coming back."

He shook his head slowly, always watching my face.

"No. They're all gone. I stayed behind to tell you goodbye."

"Alice is gone?"

"She wanted to say goodbye, but I convinced her that a clean break would be better for you."

I tightened my hold on myself and closed my eyes. I was dizzy; it was hard to concentrate. I tried to breathe normally again. I needed to concentrate, to find a way out of this nightmare.

"Goodbye, Bella," he said in the same quiet, peaceful voice. A single tear fell down my face as I tried to reach out for him, but his cold hands locked around my wrists and pinned them to my sides. He leaned down, and pressed his lips very lightly to my forehead for the briefest instant. I opened my eyes as he was backing away. "Be safe." I saw something flicker across his face and saw something in his eyes that made me slowly release the hold on myself. It seemed like he couldn't hold in his true emotions anymore. The look in his eyes held many emotions. Not happiness. Not relief. But sadness, pain, and…love?

I inhaled deeply and quickly called out before he could run off.

"Wait!" He looked at me for a second before I continued. "You're lying to me."

He completely froze. This time _he_ didn't know what to say. He was speechless. His eyes finally met mine and I kept talking.

"You're not leaving because you don't love me anymore-" he was opening his mouth to speak but I took a step forward and cut him off. "You're _leaving_ because you think, because of what you are, you have to leave. You're _leaving_ because you don't want me to be a part of that. You're _leaving_ because all you want to do is…protect me?" The end sounded like a question. I was really hoping I was right.

Edward looked at me with the most painful look on his face.

"Bella…"

"I'm right aren't I?" I asked taking another step towards him. He looked away from me and stared at the ground. More tears were silently making their way down my face. I wasn't sure what I was feeling exactly. Maybe relief? Relief that he still loved me? Even though I still found it hard to believe that someone as beautiful as him could love me. Part of me was still convinced that he wanted to leave because he didn't love me. But another part was sure that he just wanted to keep me safe. I mean, he told me all the time that he loved me. He told me he loved me when he watched me wake up every morning. He told me he loved me when he met me at school. And told me he loved me when he would come through my window at night after Charlie was asleep.

Edward was still completely speechless.

Suddenly I thought of something…well, someone.

"What about Victoria?" His head snapped up and he looked angry. "What if she comes back? What if she comes back looking for me?" Suddenly fear started to take over and I couldn't control my breathing patterns anymore. "Edward! You leaving would not keep me out of harms way!" I took one final step towards him so we were just barely touching and I had to look up to see his face. "My number here in Forks is up remember? You may think that I am in danger all the time because of you, but you are completely wrong. If you hadn't been there that day Tyler's van came towards me I would have died that day. And if you hadn't been in Port Angeles that night, who _knows_ what might have happened?"

I stared at him for a few seconds before continuing. "And Victoria? I don't know why she would come back, but with my luck she will or some other vampire will. And if you leave me here unprotected-" Edward's cold lips suddenly crashed onto mine, cutting me off.

"Bella…I am so…sorry," he said in between kisses. He finally backed away and from the look on his face I could tell if he could cry, he would be. He took me face in his hands and stared at me dead in the eye. "You're right. I _was_ thinking of leaving you to keep you safe. And I didn't think about the chances of Victoria…" he let out a low growl and then continued. "And I thought you were observant, but I hadn't realized you were _this_ observant! First you figured out what I was stupidly planning on doing and then at the end of it all you realized I was completely lying and I _do_ love you. I am hopelessly in love. It would have torn me apart." I wrapped my hands around his wrists and looked into his now warm topaz eyes.

"But…what about your distractions?" He let out a soft laugh.

"All part of the lie, love. There would be no distraction from the…agony that I would feel. I already had the feeling that I was being torn apart before I even said anything to you. I don't want to know what I would feel as time went on." He released my face and took my hands in his. He took both of my hands and kissed them both. "And now with the chances of…Victoria," I now flinched just hearing the name and I wasn't even sure if she would return to Forks, "…returning, I don't want you to leave my sight."

Edward smiled my favorite crooked smile, and I couldn't help but smile back.

Slowly my smile faded as I started thinking about Victoria. Edward's smile quickly vanished as he noticed my panic.

"What is it, love?"

"Edward…what are…the chances that…Victoria would return?" I had trouble getting the words out. Edward took a deep breath and answered:

"Pretty high seeing as James was her mate. I still can't believe I didn't think of her and the danger you would- Bella? Bella what's wrong?" James and Victoria were mates? The thought made me hyperventilating again. Sometimes I think I overreact just as much as Edward does.

"They were mates?" I said aloud.

"Yes, but Bella you have nothing to worry about! Like I said, I won't leave you out of my sight unless," he stopped.

"Unless?" He looked at me with worry in his eyes.

"Unless you don't want me anymore."

"Edward Cullen, what makes you think I don't want you anymore?"

"I lied to you and tried to leave you."

"So? I forgave you already. I love you and I want you right here." He responded with his a huge smile showing all of his teeth.

"You love me?"

"Of course I do."

"Well, in that case, I love you too." I couldn't help but smile as he leaned down to kiss me once more.

After a few seconds, he broke away but before taking a step back it placed a small kiss on my forehead. He took my hand in his and we stared into each others eyes for a few more moments.

"Come on, it looks like it's about to rain," he said breaking the silence.

"Shocking," I said making him laugh. It was great hearing him laugh again. It seemed like forever since I last heard him laugh when it had only been three days. It had been three torturous and frightening days since my birthday and I was glad that this horrible nightmare was over. I finally had my Edward back.

I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder, but quickly stood up straight again when I remembered something.

"Edward?"

"Hmm"

"Shouldn't we tell Alice and everybody to come back?"

"Oh, I'm sure Alice has already seen all this happening and she and everybody else are probably on their way home as we speak."

"And Jasper?" I asked, a hint of worry in my voice.

"He'll probably return as well. But he'll probably keep his distance."

"Edward, I want him to know that I'm not mad at him. I never _was_!"

"I think he knows that. He just doesn't want anything else to happen." He gently gave my hand a squeeze and added "But don't worry about that now. We don't have that much time until Charlie comes home and I want to spend the remaining time with you alone."

I smiled as we walked into the house and sat on the couch, our hands still intertwined together and my head resting on Edward's shoulder. Here we would stay and we wouldn't move…well, until Charlie comes home and tries to threaten Edward with some unthreatening statement.

But until then, I would sit here with the love of my life and he would stay with me.

* * *

**A/N- So, what did you guys think? Good? Bad? Leave a review! They make me happy. :) And songs that weren't at the beginning of each chapter but songs that I listened to while writing are on my profile thing. :D**


	4. AN: New FanficWebsite

SORRY!!!!!!

I know how much you guys probably HATE author's notes! But I think this is the easiest way to get to all of you sorta quickly!

Ok so….I know I said I'm working on another fanfic, which is true. I'm going to start it this weekend! WOO HOO! I would have started it a while ago, but seriously? 10th grade sucks! But I do I have the plot in my head it's just the matter of getting it down on paper. How do you guys do it?! Fanfics are stressful! :P But yeah, keep an eye out for my next fanfiction! I'm not sure what the name of it is going to be….I'll think of one tonight….

ALSO: I made a website! Awesome right? A-W-E-S-O-M-E! awesome awesome TOTALLY!.......sorry, cheerleader moment…. Anyway, yeah, I made a kinda sucky website that's gonna be deticated to all of my fanfics that I plan on writing, including "Stay With Me". There's also a guestbook. You guys can sign it and I will feel loved!  haha!

Anyway, that's about it. I'm sorry I've been such a slacker on fanfiction, but I couldn't really be a slacker in school b/c I'm one of the nerd students who actually wants to do well in life. :P

Ok, I'm babbling now…it's 12:18 and I need to go to sleep…

TOODLES!!!!

(did I just say toodles??)

ok…NOW I'm done. 

Lots of Love,

Sydney

Website link: .com


End file.
